Water continuous emulsions containing from about 5 to 40 wt % fat are known in the art. Such emulsions are generally known as creams. The best known example of a cream is dairy cream. Dairy cream generally comprises about 40 wt % fat and is suitable for use as a cooking cream, a whippable cream or a coffee cream.
Over the years, in order to improve the nutritional value and health aspects of creams, dairy fat has been (partly) replaced by vegetable fats. Creams wherein at least part of the dairy fat has been replaced by a vegetable fat are referred to as non-dairy creams (NDC). Non-dairy creams are for example disclosed in EP-A-509579 which describes non-dairy creams based on liquid oils. The art has shown that the replacement of dairy fat with (generally more soft) vegetable fats may lead to a deterioration of some product properties such as whip time, firmness after whipping, post hardening after whipping and storage stability of the product. These problems have been addressed in the art.
EP-A-682477 discloses low SAFA cream alternatives comprising a particular fat mixture which is a combination of fat A which is high in SAFA (saturated fatty acid) and fat B which is high in PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acid).
EP-A-691080 discloses the use of a food-acceptable salt derived from a multivalent metal or alkaline earth metal to improve the properties of a non-dairy cream.
JP 52078204 discloses compositions comprising 45% fat and rather soft fats which result in fluffy creams after whipping.
Although the above described products may offer some product improvement, the known non-dairy creams are still not showing the desired combination of good whipping behaviour, limited post hardening after whipping, limited or no thickening while packed, limited sensitivity to temperature cycling and storage and relatively low levels of saturated fatty acids.
It is an object of the invention to provide products that show this desired combination of product properties.